Best Places To Eat In Austin, Texas: Chow Down On BBQ, Tacos & Queso

places to eat in austin
Lucy
Lucy 
Updated
| 4 min read

Austin, the capital of Texas, is a bustling city home to delicious BBQ, tacos, queso and ample food trucks. Get ready to throw your diet out the window when you’re in Austin, as the food is drool-worthy and the options are endless. There are always a few heated debates about who has the best BBQ, breakfast tacos and queso dip in Austin, but it’s pretty hard to go wrong. My advice is to try to limit the quantity, so you’re able to try a few different places. Get ready for that Southern comfort food and bring your stretchy pants.

1. Lucy’s Fried Chicken

Lunch is served at Lucy's on the Fly! Fried Pickles + Burger + Fried Chicken Sammy + booze = Friday #lucysonthefly #lucysfriedchicken #friedpickles #southlamar #friday #itstheweekend

Posted by Lucy's Fried Chicken on Friday, 28 October 2016

Lucy’s is a local homegrown favorite with innovative takes on comfort food. Lucy’s has four different locations, with one located near South Congress Avenue. It has a similar style to a German pub with picnic tables in a covered outdoor patio and a few seats inside. You can get a bucket o’chicken that feeds four for 25 USD. Their chicken is deliciously crispy with just a hint of spice and juicy meat. Try one of their many sides like incredibly creamy mac and cheese, fried okra and collard greens.

Lucy’s Fried Chicken

Address: 2218 College Ave, Austin, TX 78704

Contact: (512) 297-2423

Website: Lucy’s Fried Chicken

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2. Odd Duck

Gave our tamale a 2017 facelift! Chile and cheese tamale, hen of the woods, shroom hot sauce mayo, corn nuts photo: Richard Casteel

Posted by Odd Duck on Monday, 2 January 2017

If you’re looking for a high-end romantic night out, try Odd Duck. What started as a trendy, locally sourced food truck equipped with a wood-burning grill is now this brick and mortar date spot that serves brunch, lunch and dinner. The pretzel, pig face carnitas with cheddar and fried egg puree is a must as is their ceviche, wagyu strip and pork belly dishes. This farm to table restaurant is sure to impress your date and your palate.

Odd Duck

Address: 1201 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704

Contact: (512) 433-6521

Website: Odd Duck

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3. Pinthouse Pizza

Spice up March Madness today and grab our Banh Mi Pizza while you watch the Sweet 16 games tipoff! The Vietnamese...

Posted by Pinthouse Pizza on Thursday, 24 March 2016

Pinthouse is a popular local hangout spot. If you’re looking for a break from Southern comfort food, head to Pinthouse to grab a slice of delicious pizza, a pint of their home brewed beer and sit on a picnic table outside. Some of their top pizzas are the Armadillo and the Cannonball. The Armadillo consists of extra virgin olive oil, house cheese blend, local artisan sausage, poblano peppers, ricotta cheese, and cilantro. They also have queso, pizza rolls and salads on their menu. Their award-winning beer is also a must, try their refreshing Calma Muerte sessions ale on a hot day or try their aggressively dry-hopped flagship IPA, Man-O-War.

Pinthouse Pizza

Address: 4729 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78756

Contact: (512) 436-9605

Website: Pinthouse Pizza

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4. Moonshine Bar and Patio

Got that mid-afternoon Low Country Baby Back Ribs craving? We get it too. If you're near our zip code, we can send some...

Posted by Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill on Monday, 1 February 2016

If you’re looking for a quintessential Southern comfort restaurant, head to Moonshine for a casual and delicious meal. This is a great spot for a large group as they have ample room, a back patio with a fire pit and two different bars. When you’re seated, you are given a complimentary bowl of popcorn as you look over the menu of chicken-fried steak, center cut pork chop with stone fruit chutney and green chili macaroni. Come hungry and try some of their delicious cocktails such as the Hard Lemonade and Blind Mule.

Moonshine Bar and Patio

Address: 303 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701

Contact: (512) 236-9599

Website: Moonshine Bar and Patio

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5. El Burro

Posted by El Burro Tex Mex & Bar on Friday, 10 February 2017

A recent addition to Austin, this trendy new Tex-Mex restaurant was an anticipated restaurant from the highly regarded chef, Vincent Manguino. The restaurant has a great back patio to enjoy the sun as you sip down delicious craft cocktails such as the Francisco de Miranda or the frozen margarita, an Austin staple. For your meal, enjoy their fish tacos, fajitas and enchiladas.

El Burro

Address: 1100 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704

Contact: (512) 975-2600

Website: El Burro

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6. El Primo

I got the first two al pastors out of el primo in front of once over this am..

Posted by Jason T. Martin on Friday, 30 September 2016

Taco trucks are hard to miss in Austin, but El Primo is considered one of the best. The food is fresh, delicious and flavorful. Come here for their breakfast tacos such as chorizo and egg or their migas tacos, which has tortilla chips, chilis and eggs. This is a very casual food truck, that you’d probably miss if you walked right by it. It doesn’t seem like much, but it is a hidden oasis of delicious breakfast goodness.

El Primo

Address: 2011 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704

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7. Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ

places to eat in austin | valentina’s tex-mex bbq
Source: instagram

Considered a “must-try” food truck, Valentina’s blends Tex-Mex with Texas BBQ for a delectable combination of flavors. Hints of smokiness with a lingering spicy kick makes people come back to this place for more. Come for the brisket and carnitas tacos with fresh hand-rolled flour tortillas and stay for smoked corn. You can also order spare ribs, brisket and pulled pork by the pound.

Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ

Address: 11500 Manchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78745

Website: Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ

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8. Franklin’s BBQ

Franklin Barbecue Austin About to Open
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Larry D. Moore used under CC BY-SA 4.0

You can’t go to Austin without trying BBQ and many say that Franklin’s is the best. Be prepared to wait in line for this delicious meat and it sells out every day. Franklin’s even provides umbrellas and fold-out chairs and you can bring some beer while you wait. The fatty brisket is their claim to fame and they also have a Tipsy Texan sandwich, which is a mix of chopped brisket and sausage between two buns. If you’ve saved room for dessert, definitely try the bourbon banana pie.

Franklin’s BBQ

Address: 900 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702

Website: Franklin’s BBQ

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9. South Congress Cafe

Q: Does it count as healthy if my @sococafe salad is covered in creamy dressing, blue cheese, candied pecans, quail eggs, and shrimp? 😬 📷: Foodie is the New Forty A: Yes! Yes! Yes!

Posted by South Congress Cafe on Tuesday, 4 April 2017

South Congress Cafe is a popular brunch spot on South Congress Avenue that’s been open since 2003. Some of the favorites are the decadent carrot cake French toast, the gouda potato pancake and the crab cake Benedicts. The environment is very elegant, with plenty of natural light. If you’re a fan of Bloody Marys, theirs is said to be one of the best in the nation.

South Congress Cafe

Address: 1600 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704

Website: South Congress Cafe

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Come hungry, leave full when in Austin, Texas

When you come to Texas, try to explore all the different food and don’t forget the Austin staples of breakfast tacos, migas, frozen margaritas and the Mexican martini, a tequila based martini with an olive spear. Another local favorite taco place is Torchy’s Tacos; they have a delicious fried chicken taco and their queso is some of the best around. If you’re a coffee fiend, make sure you try Jo’s Coffee, which is also home to the famous “I love you more” graffiti on its wall. The food is decadent but delicious and will have you coming back for more.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Lucy is a Pacific Northwest native, currently finding adventure in San Francisco and daydreaming of the next trip around the globe. When she is not hunting down the best ramen spots or sailing on...Read more

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